Vanishing Mist

When asked where I am from, my reply is usually determined by how far from home I am at the time. While in Korea, I would simply say that I was from the U.S. While in Tennessee, I have to specify that I am from Texas. Among the Churches of Christ, I can specify further and say that I am from Abilene. This is partially true, since, for the most part, I went to school in Abilene, did our shopping in Abilene, went to church in Abilene, and went to college. The truth of the matter is that I actually grew up in a town called Tuscola. I rarely cite this as my home town because with only 600 people in the town, it is not likely to register on many maps. Yet from the small town of Tuscola, TX comes the most talked about College football player this year, Colt McCoy. I wondered how much pride that would give a little town like Tuscola, which has little else to brag about. How long will that little town be telling stories of the great McCoy's humble childhood.
I now live in Troy, TN--a slightly larger small town of 1200. I have been walking to work recently and on my way, I pass through a cemetary. On one of the tombstones was written, "Pete 'Toe' Gudauskas, NFL, Chicago Bears". With my curiosity aroused, I made a note to look up this name on the internet. I found that Pete was a kicker for the Chicago Bears in the 40's and one year he made more PAT's than anyone else in the entire NFL. In his entire NFL career, he only missed 2 PAT's. I have asked a few if they had ever heard of him, but so far, none have.
The memory of Pete Gudauskas' considerable athletic achievements have faded even from this small town in which his body rests. I daresay, that Tuscola will easily forget the name of Colt McCoy before the end of the century.
Our lives are truly a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. There is little chance of any of us carving out an enduring legacy, nor is there much point if we succeed. But while our lives fade like the grass, we can find our place in the eternal story, by joining in the story of another boy from a small town a world away from here. A tiny village has held it's head high for 2000 years (and will continue to do so for as long as this world lasts) all because of a baby born in stall, who became the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. It was he whose name swept away the memory of the great empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome in Daniel's vision. The infant who was called Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us, born in the little town of Bethlehem, he will be remembered for all eternity, and if we align our lives with his, so will we.